Encinitas a snobby city? Article says so

An article on Motovoto.com lists Encinitas number 8 on a list of top 10 snobby cities. The ranking was based on such criteria as the amount of performing arts venues, prices of homes and income of its residents. File photo

ENCINITAS — Encinitas has been called many things, from a beach town to a surfer’s paradise.

The quirky real-estate blog named Encinitas No. 8 on its list of the “Ten Snobbiest Small Cities in America,” a list that includes such upper-crust communities like Palo Alto, Bethesda, MD, and Laguna Niguel.

So, what does Encinitas have that would make it a “snob magnet?”

According to the study, a ton of performing and visual arts venues, pricy homes and a population that earns a decent living.

Encinitas ranked sixth among the 50 cities listed in terms of performing arts venues per capita and 11th in terms of art galleries per capita and median home price.

The household income rank was average, 32nd among the 50 cities included.

Despite the explanation of the criteria, a number of Encinitas residents and defenders jumped on message boards to protect the coastal community’s honor.

“The snobs? They are the old money folks in La Jolla & Rancho Santa Fe,” one commenter said. “Encinitas folks will welcome ‘anyone’ with open arms.”

“Snobbery is not how I would define any of our communities, or the people in them,” commenter Lorri Greene said. “We are a small beach town, and yes there are a lot of things to do. However, we have some of the most caring, giving people living here.”

One city councilwoman also questioned the rationale of the study.

“If snobby means lots of arts and a strong economy, then I’m proud to have that designation,” Councilwoman Lisa Shaffer said. “But I don’t equate arts and culture with snobbishness.”

But, before residents pull out the pitchforks, the article’s author said, this might be one of the few times where being classified as snobby is a good thing.

“The article should have been titled, ‘Best City for Snobs,’” Laura Allan said. “It was focused on things that snobs would like rather than focusing on the people in the town being jerks. And snobs appreciate the finer things, like art galleries and a good ballet.”

“Encinitas in particular is not exactly a bad looking place, it is a gorgeous place,” Allan continued. “People have a lot of pride in their homes and where they live. People are happy to live there and very proud of it.”

Councilman Tony Kranz said he is taking the article in stride — there’s no such thing as bad publicity, he said.

“If that is how you define snobby,” he said of the article’s methodology, “Then I will take that definition any day.”